The House(s) of Fran_mart

We arrived in Canberra just as Floroade was finishing for the year.  Unfortunately, in the same way that vampires rise again at nightfall if not well staked down, it will re-emerge from the crypt next year!  It will be interesting to see if Commonwealth Park is available again on our November visit or if the temporary fencing is still in place. On the subject of fencing there is still an interesting specimen at a memorial (possibly Merchant Navy) near the Carillon.  This has been there for at least 5 weeks and seems to be protecting workers cleaning up the memorial.  There were about 6 blokes there today and very busy so I don't know how it is taking them so long!  ( NOTE from the futur e: the fencing ad all gone by the morning of 18th.  There was still a security dweet there and one fundi-with-a-shovel attending to a tree, but basically the work was finished.) On the subject of workers this lot all seemed to be leaning on the railings of Commonwealth ...

I meant to start with a quote from T S Eliot's poem "The Wasteland" but couldn't find anything really suitable.  So I checked out his "The Hollow Men"and if one was looking for a description of the suburb of Coombs struck gold straight away: Shape without form, shade without colour, Paralysed force, gesture without motion. Or further into the poem: In this valley of dying stars In this hollow valley The broken jaw of our lost Kingdom. Back in the day Canberra's highest profile running track started at a spot off Cotter Road and went in various directions through mature pines.  As the rulers of Canberra at that time wouldn't name a road after a living person the running community decided that the forest road starting at this point would be named Deeks Drive.  They put up a sign to that effect and someone souvenired it within 24 hours.  The name stuck and was eventually commemorated with a huge official sign and a palatial toilet (which had a ...

Sorry to keep talking about the weather, but it does cramp one's style a bit when it is ordinary!  Today we were uncramped, although that looked to be a bit arguable at times.  At least we started off with the sun rising. About 20 years ago we visited Mallacoota for the first time. As we walked along the Casuarina Trail I saw a Beautiful Firetail for the first time.  We didn't come to the area for quite a while - perhaps 14 years - and very soon after we started visiting again Frances saw what seemed to be a bird of this species on our usual morning walk. But she wasn't certain and I didn't see it at all.  A couple of years ago a birding friend from Canberra visited the area and got a flock of 20+ of the species at the end of Watertrust Road. I have since spent a lot of time there looking for the birds and not found them.  This morning we did the dog walk and - almost exactly where Frances' observation had been - a Beautiful Firetail flew across the...

Those with an interest in musical theatre will be familiar with West Side Story.  One of my favourite songs is "Gee Officer Krupke " which includes this interchange: A-RAB:  In my opinion, this child don't need to have his head shrunk at all. Juvenile delinquency is purely a social disease!  ACTION:  Hey, I got a social disease!  Today the weather takes on the role of A-Rab.  I'm not sure if it is the traditional pox, or something more up to date.  Whatever it is the cure is urgently needed. ( Incidentally, on a walking tour around the mid-West of Manhattan it emerged that the movie of West Side Story was shot in the tenements which used to occupy the site of the Lincoln Centre.  The movie was shot between the inhabitants being moved out and the Centre built.  It was known as San Juan Hill and basically a no-go area - at least for gringos. ) This morning there was 8.6mm in the gauge, which is an interesting comparison with the comment...